Riverside County health officials confirmed the region’s first case of the highly contagious coronavirus variant first identified in Britain.
The U.K. strain, known as B.1.1.7, is so transmissible that health officials worry that its spread could leave to another surge in Southern California. The strain has also been detected in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino, Alameda, San Mateo and Yolo counties.
County health officials learned of the case over the weekend, according to City News Service.
“It was inevitable we would see this strain in Riverside County, and in our large population we will probably see others,” said county Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser. “But it doesn’t change the need for people to take precautions with facial coverings, social distancing and good hygiene. It works for other things and it works for this, too.”
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